Wayne Gretzky's arrival in the NHL in the 1979 was the kind of landscape altering moment that happen perhaps once or twice in a century in a major professional sport. For baseball you can point to Babe Ruth and then just a quarter-century later to Jackie Robinson; in basketball the immediate overwhelming dominance of Wilt Chamberlain comes to mind and a similar notion surrounds Tiger Woods. That's a pretty good sampling of the kind of exclusive club that Gretzky belongs to a testament to "The Great One." There's a certain singularity implicit in that nickname that ended up foreshadowing his place in NHL history. After a one-year flirtation with the World Hockey Association (WHA) Gretzky landed with the Edmonton Oilers where he quickly began establishing scoring records at a dizzying pace and led his team to four Stanley Cup championships. Starting with his second year with Edmonton he would put up scoring totals of 164 212 196 205 208 215 and 183 a seven-year span unmatched and largely unimagined. Gretzky's trade to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988 had an immediate impact on the team's performance eventually leading them to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals and he is credited with popularizing hockey in California. Though reciting statistics and tallies of honors hardly provides the full picture it can't be avoided: nine Hart Trophies 10 Art Ross Trophies two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP and five Lester B. Pearson Awards (now called the Ted Lindsay Award) for most outstanding player as judged by other players. After his retirement in 1999 he was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame making him the most recent player to have the waiting period waived. The NHL retired his jersey number 99 league-wide making him the only NHL player to receive this honor. Only one other professional athlete has ever been so honored and that is Jackie Robinson.

The offered jersey was acquired by John Hamilton directly from the Kings with testimony provided by three different accompanying signed letters issued in 1991 on L.A. Kings letterhead; one each from Gretzky himself head trainer Peter Demers and former Kings player (then-broadcaster) Jim Fox respectively. With that introduction comes this historic 1990-91 Los Angeles Kings home jersey worn during a 163-point campaign by the man who topped the 100-point mark a staggering 14 times in his career. Inside the rear collar is the Maska Ultrafil tag; inside the right rear tail is a black strip tag with 99 embroidered in black stitch. Adjacent is a Velcro strip that Gretzky used to tuck in the right rear tail. The fight strap has been cut a typical Gretzky customization. On the outer tail is the dual CCM embroidered logos with adjacent NHL shields in orange-on-black embroidery. On front is the LOS ANGELES KINGS large team crest on silver tackle twill with black and white embroidered stitching. On left chest is the Captains C done in silver on black tackle twill. On each sleeve is player number 99 done in silver on white tackle twill. Player number also appears on back along with player name GRETZKY on a black nameplate both in silver on black tackle twill. The Great One has signed in black marker on the left breast adding his No.99 inscription. The jersey shows light but definite wear including light stick marks most noticeable on the lower portion of each sleeve. A bluish transfer scuff and partial fabric tear from contact appear just beneath the right sleeve number.

Among the most admired hockey treasures among a vast trove of artifacts at the Newport Sports Museum this long admired centerpiece is accompanied by three Kings LOAs Gretzky Demers and Fox. Includes a Letter of Provenance from The Newport Sports Museum.

Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.